Cinematographer
Aus DoP-Perspektive ist dieses Element essentiell für die visuelle Gestaltung. Es ermöglicht mir die gewünschte Farbstimmung und das ästhetische Bild konsistent umzusetzen.
Honeycomb grid attachment (40° cutoff) for softboxes that directs soft light and reduces spill while maintaining diffusion quality.
Overview
An Egg Crate 40° (also known as an eggcrate, grid, or snapgrid-eggcrate) is a light modifier attachment mounted in front of the diffusion surface of a softbox. The grid consists of cells arranged in a honeycomb pattern, which block light escaping from the sides and focus the light beam. The effect: the softbox retains its soft quality, but the light is directed forward in a controlled manner instead of scattering widely into the room.
The designation 40° refers to the beam angle or cutoff angle: a 40° egg crate narrows the beam to approximately 40 degrees. This is the most commonly used variant in film and photography because it offers noticeable spill control without sacrificing excessive light output. Tighter grids (e.g., 30°) provide stronger focusing, while wider ones (e.g., 50°/60°) allow for more diffusion.
How it Works
The cells of the grid act like small tubes: light exiting parallel to the cell axis passes through unimpeded; light hitting the cell walls at a shallow angle is absorbed. This simultaneously limits light in four directions of spread. Typical applications:
- Containing spill light that would otherwise fall on walls, ceilings, or the background
- Preventing lens flare and unwanted light fall-off on set
- Precisely placing edge, rim, or hair light
- Separating foreground and background with clean light control
Designs and Compatibility
Egg crates are available as soft egg crates made of fabric (foldable, lightweight, with hook-and-loop fastening on the edge of the softbox) as well as stiffer frame variants. In film and broadcast, they are often distributed as brand-specific modules, such as SNAPGRID by DoPchoice or Snapgrid Eggcrate by Litepanels/ARRI, each designed to fit the corresponding SnapBag softbox of the fixture. The size (e.g., 1x2, 2x3, 3x4, strip, octa, beauty dish) depends on the specific softbox; the angle (here 40°) is independent of this.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Category | Light Modifier / Grip Accessory for Softboxes |
| Angle | 40° Beam/Cutoff Angle |
| Material (Typical) | Fabric (Soft Eggcrate) or Frame with Cell Grid |
| Attachment | Hook-and-Loop on Softbox Edge |
| Primary Function | Spill Control and Directionality while Maintaining Softness |
Use on Set
The egg crate attaches to the softbox tool-free in seconds and can be removed just as quickly, speeding up setup and breakdown. In practice, the 40° grid is used when the soft quality of the light from the softbox needs to be preserved, but the light spread is too wide and illuminates the background excessively. A certain loss of light compared to the open softbox should be noted; this loss is greater with very tight grids than with the 40° variant.
From the crafts
Perspectives
Producer
Diese professionelle Lösung erhöht die Produktionseffizienz und reduziert Post-Production-Anforderungen. Sie ermöglicht flexible, schnelle Anpassungen während des Drehs.
Gaffer
Als Gaffer ist dies ein unverzichtbares Werkzeug meines täglichen Handwerkszeugs. Es ermöglicht mir professionelle Lichtkontrolle und schnelle Anpassungen auf Set, was Zeit spart und Qualität sichert.
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Test your knowledge
Quiz
1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Wabengitter 40°"?
2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?